Atomica Cafe
268 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
03 9417 4255
Cafe, Coffee, Tea
$$
Food
- Mediterranean Baked Breakfast
- Cornfield Eggs
- Flat White
The Good
Served in a casserole, the Mediterranean Baked Breakfast was beautifully presented and generously loaded with ingredients. Topped with two whole eggs that were perfectly cooked and coated with sesame and various herbs, cutting open the egg allowed the exceptionally runny yolk to flow into the dish.
The chorizo was nicely charred and offered a bold and spicy kick. This was well complemented by the bacon, with a good mixture of fat and protein, was fried to a nice crisp. Combined with the soft and flavourful halloumi, this was an unapologetically heavy and greasy meal. All cooked in a rich tomato-based baked bean, the toasted Turkish rolls were perfect for soaking up all the juices. The generous portion size, coupled with the greasy bacon and chorizo, sure made for a good hangover cure.
The Flat White definitely deserves a special mention. With an exceptional depth in flavour and brewed to perfection, the Atomica Dark blend was clearly of exceptional quality. The bold, full-bodied flavour of the coffee, combined with the smooth and creamy froth, made for an exceptional cup of pick me up.
The Mediocre
The Cornfield Eggs were unfortunately disappointing. Every component of this dish, apart from the poached eggs, were inherently flawed.
Being incredibly hard and dry, the cornbread was perhaps halfway towards having the crunch of a biscuit, without much flavour of aroma of corn within. The corn and tomato salsa didn't help the cause as they weren't particularly juicy either. Additionally, the smashed avocado was overwhelmed by the sourness of lemon juices. While overall not terrible, this dish definitely fell short, especially when compared to the Mediterranean Baked Breakfast.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Despite the strong coffee scene in Melbourne, I can safely say that the caliber of coffee offered by Atomica is almost unparalleled and now safely ranks amongst my favourite cafes to visit for a coffee.
The food however, leaves much room for fine-tuning.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
For the perfect hangover cure, I'd look no further than the Mediterranean Baked Breakfast at Atomica. With one of the most perfect cups of coffee I've sampled in Melbourne though, I'm definitely going to be back for more.
We would like to thank Atomica for inviting us to sample their menu.